Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas
Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of October 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month, and up about 0.2 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Texas using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in October 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
#50. Walker County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 24,373 people (1,062 unemployed)
#49. El Paso County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 377,793 people (16,575 unemployed)
#48. Hall County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,046 people (47 unemployed)
#47. Milam County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,317 people (460 unemployed)
#46. Cass County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,994 people (544 unemployed)
#45. San Jacinto County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,245 people (556 unemployed)
#44. Kleberg County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 13,111 people (584 unemployed)
#43. Hardin County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,449 people (1,140 unemployed)
#42. San Patricio County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,363 people (1,328 unemployed)
#41. Harrison County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,328 people (1,334 unemployed)
#40. Sterling County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 453 people (21 unemployed)
#39. Trinity County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,379 people (249 unemployed)
#38. Swisher County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,558 people (120 unemployed)
#37. Aransas County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,392 people (446 unemployed)
#36. Shelby County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,138 people (524 unemployed)
#35. Matagorda County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,915 people (841 unemployed)
#34. Waller County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,313 people (1,233 unemployed)
#33. Hardeman County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,810 people (86 unemployed)
#32. Leon County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 5,950 people (284 unemployed)
#31. Chambers County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,654 people (1,050 unemployed)
#30. Val Verde County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,674 people (1,081 unemployed)
#29. Orange County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,531 people (1,697 unemployed)
#28. Real County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 1,156 people (57 unemployed)
#27. Jim Hogg County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 1,772 people (87 unemployed)
#26. Marion County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,180 people (204 unemployed)
#25. Wilbarger County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,660 people (227 unemployed)
#24. Cameron County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 181,439 people (8,974 unemployed)
#23. Bee County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,402 people (467 unemployed)
#22. Jim Wells County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,682 people (788 unemployed)
#21. Polk County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 19,133 people (966 unemployed)
#20. Freestone County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,360 people (324 unemployed)
#19. Hale County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,267 people (575 unemployed)
#18. Tyler County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,975 people (362 unemployed)
#17. Liberty County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 36,152 people (1,864 unemployed)
#16. Hidalgo County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 380,965 people (19,964 unemployed)
#15. Brooks County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,312 people (125 unemployed)
#14. Sabine County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,894 people (209 unemployed)
#13. Jasper County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,765 people (688 unemployed)
#12. San Augustine County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,200 people (180 unemployed)
#11. Jefferson County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 103,258 people (5,685 unemployed)
#10. Morris County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,461 people (255 unemployed)
#9. Zapata County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,481 people (261 unemployed)
#8. Presidio County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,014 people (177 unemployed)
#7. Sutton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 928 people (57 unemployed)
#6. Maverick County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,017 people (1,362 unemployed)
#5. Kenedy County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 125 people (8 unemployed)
#4. Zavala County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,474 people (218 unemployed)
#3. Newton County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,992 people (327 unemployed)
#2. Willacy County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,334 people (484 unemployed)
#1. Starr County
- October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,533 people (1,886 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
